They are monopolies. But they are regulated monopolies so some how that makes it okay. That is, your local government decides which company can offer phone service and which company can offer cable service.

Yes, there are monopolies, actually they tend to be exclusive rights contracts between local governments and the media/internet suppliers.

Many other countries have basically socialized public access to high speed internet. Can't do that here, though. Too much money involved in preventing it and forcing us to pay through the hind end (in lounge-speak, that is).

Talent can get you to the playoffs.It takes character to win when you get there.SUPER BOWL XLVIII CHAMPIONS

My Frontier FIOS in Kirkland has been great. Had it for 1.5 years. I had it at a separate location about 4 years ago, was great there, too. You need to get heavily involved with the upper-tier FIOS techs, Msfann, and try to get to the root problem.

Also, the main reason why ISPs suck in metropolitan areas is lobbying. Lobbying keeps the FCC "in line" with corporate interests, and the fat cat politicians just keep making bank in all kinds of quasi-legal, and illegal, ways.

We need to force open internet competition like what the European Union has. (At least, I think it's them; it might be England?) Anyways, fiber in the ground has to be shared with any ISP that wants it at a market-friendly rate, so competition went through the roof, and you can get 100-megabit cable with no limits for like $60/mo in places like London.

I really hate politicians. (Except Kevin Spacey in that new Netflix show...lol.)